thought this was a novel idea, however a bit corny

http://screen.yahoo.com/lifestyle/failure-club/

so tww:

1. what have you always wanted to do with/in your life? (try to keep it real)
2. what could you realistically do in a year that would get you closer to that goal?
3. what has previously held you back?

I think it is an interesting idea, failure club for 2012?

12/4/2011 2:40:09 PM

I wanted to be a Mechanical Engineer.


I currently am a Mechanical Engineer.

12/4/2011 2:51:15 PM

I wanted to be a professional writer.

I am a professional writer.

Time for a new life goal?

12/4/2011 3:02:55 PM

I wanted to be a motivational speaker.



I am now a victim of expressive aphasia.

12/4/2011 3:05:26 PM

I wanted to be a genetic counselor.

I am going to be a genetic counselor come May 12, 2012.


I also wanted to be on broadway but gave that up because I don't think would truly like the lifestyle.

12/4/2011 3:20:19 PM

Things I wanted to do, or become:

Medical doctor, specifically, heart/brain surgeon.
World-class martial artist.
Hot shot financial analyst/consultant.
Race car driver.
Dangerous wild life researcher/scientist.
Famous chef.


What could I do to get me closer to any of those goals, ever?

Nothing.

(unless someone invents a time machine before I die)

12/4/2011 4:12:44 PM

1. I want to own my own butcher shop.

2. I need to find a job as a butcher. I am currently unemployed so I won't have to worry about making a choice between being a butcher and something else.

3. I have never really felt settled enough in other aspects of my life to pursue my goal but now I do.

12/4/2011 4:29:23 PM

I want to open a cool sandwich shop that offered custom sodas....like old timey stuff

12/4/2011 4:54:29 PM

that is cool BigFletch Do you have any short term goals set?

@ ComputerGuy, how interested are you in doing that? has it been a long term aspiration of yours? It sounds like a fun idea.

12/4/2011 5:29:39 PM

i wanna make music that makes people go "wait...what?"

12/4/2011 5:37:40 PM

@kmyoungs

I just think good food is universal...and sandwiches can be delicious art work.
Soda....can be amazing...especially in an all time high of artificial sweeteners.

12/4/2011 5:56:58 PM

Quote :

"1. I want to own my own butcher shop. 2. I need to find a job as a butcher. I am currently unemployed so I won't have to worry about making a choice between being a butcher and something else. 3. I have never really felt settled enough in other aspects of my life to pursue my goal but now I do."

I worked at the meat department in The Fresh Market in high school... wasn't close to being a butcher, but I learned a lot about meat. [nohomo]

12/4/2011 6:47:17 PM

True story: The meat market guy two doors down from me is looking to sell his store.


Been in business for 30 years. He could teach you a thing or two.

12/4/2011 6:51:00 PM

Growing up I wanted to be a dance instructor. My shoulder is jacked up, so I can't really dance anymore. Secondly, kids are annoying and now I'd rather dance alone in my living room.

In other news, I applied for college today.

12/4/2011 8:23:26 PM

1. Make stuff for a living/own my own business (gunsmith, knifemaker, tree removal, etc)

2. Get fired from my current job

3. Fear

[Edited on December 4, 2011 at 9:20 PM. Reason : ]

12/4/2011 9:19:07 PM

I wanted to work on political campaigns and travel the country

i tried it and i hated it

now i have no clue what i'm doing with my life.

12/4/2011 9:24:45 PM

I want to lead others in the art of shooting people in the face. I figure in about a year's time it'll happen. The goal after that is to shoot people in the face and not be able to talk about it.

12/4/2011 9:37:29 PM

Quote :

" i have no clue what i'm doing with my life."

12/4/2011 10:33:24 PM

1) do an Ironman tri, thus far even the half-IM distance has eluded me
holding me back- my own lack of time from school and injury
what I could do to improve: commit to the 20-30 hours of training a week, I'm resting my ankle in prep
for doing longer distances

2) own my own horse instead of riding other people's
holding back: lack of money, again from school, plenty of opportunity to ride for free
how will resolve: graduate, get job, make $$

3) wanted to be an equine vet
holding me back: perfect 4.0 in college, # hours commitment to getting into vet school
what makes me annoyed about it: I've dealt with several vet students, from an owner's perspective, who literally didn't know the ass end from the front and got injured. Literally didn't know things like customary side of working with the horse, or how to ask for a hoof.

4) starting my own non-profit to mentor girls and women with bikes, also starting abortion fund for women in need
holding me back: other non-profits I'm involve with, time, $$
what I could do to get there: gather a Board, file the 501c3 paperwork, start caring about it, not doing till I graduate school, starting networking in community to see if we need a nonprofit like this

5) totally do a hot tall Dutch man
holding me back: erm, my current relationship
what could I do: absolutely nothing. Fantasies need to remain that

12/4/2011 10:51:19 PM

Quote :

"In other news, I applied for college today"

... even though it is not dancing that is still really cool! What are you interested in going to school for bmel?

Quote :

"Make stuff for a living"

@ Fumbler, are any of those things your hobbies? That would be a less drastic change that could help you understand the knife making or gunsmith business. I am not sure if tree removal is a hobby, although fun

Quote :

"political campaigns and travel the country"

I did that too, very overrated, and I do not have the party mentality to be like the people in that field. Do you still enjoy politics or do you want to switch field altogether?

Quote :

"I want to lead others in the art of shooting people in the face."

Do you want to be a shooting instructor? or do you really just want to murder someone? I imagine you could accomplish that pretty easily.

Quote :

"Ironman tri"

I want to do that too!!!!! I need to start training, that is awesome, good luck! I like the nonprofit idea as well as the dutch man

12/5/2011 9:28:09 AM

I wouldn't mind attempting an Ironman Triathlon

Give me a year and some change. Gotta get in better shape...which I already started

12/5/2011 10:27:08 AM

1. Make it to the astronaut corps.
2. Just submitted my application yesterday and mailed in my final documents this morning! All I can do now is wait to hear back on it. The only thing I can really do to get closer to goal is log more hours in a cockpit, learn more Russian, and keep on doing the engineering thing at work.
3. Not being eligible. This is the first time I've been eligible and I'll keep on applying until I'm no longer eligible.

12/5/2011 11:54:18 AM

Quote :

"Make it to the astronaut corps."

that would be sick, why are you just now eligible? do you know when you will hear back? are you fluent in Russian?

12/5/2011 11:56:20 AM

I've always wanted to be able to do perfect handstands and front levers. I was getting pretty close to holding a lever earlier this year, but had to put it on the back burner to focus on other stuff. I just need to be patient and start training them both like crazy

[Edited on December 5, 2011 at 12:18 PM. Reason : .]

12/5/2011 12:17:22 PM

1. I've always been fascinated with architecture and history--when I was younger I wanted to be an architect, now I think the perfect vocation for me would be to work in historic preservation.

2. I could try to get involved with groups like Preservation NC (or whatever group exists where I'm living next year, which will likely be somewhere else) and become an active rather than a passive observer of planning, zoning, and movements to save historic landmarks that are in jeopardy. Longer-term there is actually a master's degree program in historic preservation offered at Savannah College of Art & Design (though I doubt I'd be admitted) or I could try to change careers into a closely related field such as urban planning.

3. Fear of the unknown, unwillingness to quit my current decently-paying job and go back to school and incur debt, and the fact that getting a job in that field would be a long shot.

12/5/2011 12:23:12 PM

Quote :

"perfect handstands and front levers"

how often are you training TF? Do you have a schedule? When do you want to accomplish this by?

Quote :

" I could try to get involved with groups like Preservation NC"

that would be a great start, maybe you can network too? I like that idea. Also, how do you know you wouldn't be accepted to the program? can you email people in that department and get an idea of what the expectations are? is there an online program/night classes, that would certify you in that field?



I think it would be cool if anyone on here actually attempted the things they are afraid to do.

12/5/2011 12:51:10 PM

Quote :

"how often are you training TF? Do you have a schedule? When do you want to accomplish this by? "

Right now I'm not training either. When I was working on a lever I was probably training it at least 3x a week for like 20 mins. Going forward I think I'm going to try something like this:

-Train handstands seperately from normal workouts, 15ish mins a day for like 4x a week
-Train Lever progressions 2x a week within some of my normal workouts

I don't really have a timetable, I think both these will take a lot of patience for me to achieve. Given my past experiences I would guess 4-6 months for a mediocre handstand and a year for a significant lever?

12/5/2011 1:20:08 PM

^cool when are you planning to start?

are there any shorter term goals that would get you to your goal?

flexibility? weight? bench press?

12/5/2011 2:10:44 PM

One of the requirements to be eligible as an astronaut candidate is having at least three years of industry experience. Last time the selection process was open (2009), I only had two years. I should hear back by mid February about whether or not I made it through the first cut. I'm not fluent in Russian by any means but I know some common words and phrases here and there. I'm doing my best to learn though.

12/5/2011 2:59:53 PM

I wanted to open an Arcade or maybe a Game Shop.

The Internet killed my dream. Oh and kids probably did a good job of quashing it too. Unless I come into a lot of money then I'll just do it anyway.

[Edited on December 5, 2011 at 3:06 PM. Reason : .]

12/5/2011 3:05:45 PM

Quote :

" I'm not fluent in Russian by any means but I know some common words and phrases here and there. I'm doing my best to learn though."

I do not know if you have the $$ to blow on rosetta stone, but that prepared me pretty well for going to South America, I think that would give you an edge if that is an important feature for the program. That is really interesting goal, I hope you get there. If you don't that is ok too!

Quote :

"I wanted to open an Arcade or maybe a Game Shop."

can you fulfill that part of your interests with a hobby group, or just a big group of friends that rotate houses and plays different games? I know it sounds lame, but if it really is something you still like then why not? I know that money and time are huge, but you can maybe find other people who just want some independent time enjoying games outside of their house.


dreams never die, just the dreamers.


[Edited on December 5, 2011 at 4:12 PM. Reason : .]

12/5/2011 3:50:33 PM

Quote :

"1. Make it to the astronaut corps. 2. Just submitted my application yesterday and mailed in my final documents this morning! All I can do now is wait to hear back on it. The only thing I can really do to get closer to goal is log more hours in a cockpit, learn more Russian, and keep on doing the engineering thing at work. 3. Not being eligible. This is the first time I've been eligible and I'll keep on applying until I'm no longer eligible. "

This is the coolest thing I've ever heard!! You are fucking awesome!! I am definitely pulling for you!

12/5/2011 6:54:53 PM

Yep I actually am using Rosetta Stone right now and I'm pleased with my progress. I've only been at it for about 2 months but I am learning a lot. That + pilot's license + SCUBA license + 4 years at NASA + a few other things are hopefully going to get me at least considered. Realistically I'm probably too young (the youngest astronaut was 32 and I'm only 28) but I have to start somewhere.

12/5/2011 8:33:54 PM

That is pretty sweet, I am glad you can keep perspective on your chances without it stopping you from progressing. Also, I never met anyone trying to become an astronaut, I am impressed. please keep me posted on your progress


(same goes for everyone else who legitimately want to accomplish a goal)

12/6/2011 12:32:10 PM

Quote :

"can you fulfill that part of your interests with a hobby group, or just a big group of friends that rotate houses and plays different games? I know it sounds lame, but if it really is something you still like then why not? I know that money and time are huge, but you can maybe find other people who just want some independent time enjoying games outside of their house. "

Been doing essentially this for years, but most of my "games" friends moved away too. I'm fine with online games.

12/6/2011 12:40:29 PM

Quote :

"@ Fumbler, are any of those things your hobbies? That would be a less drastic change that could help you understand the knife making or gunsmith business. I am not sure if tree removal is a hobby, although fun"

I make knife sheaths and gun holsters for personal use and have sold a couple. I've also done repair and customization work on guns and knives, but I haven't made any from scratch or done any gunsmithing that needs expensive machinery.
So yeah, they're kinda hobbies on some level already.

I've done a little tree removal for money in the past. It's not really a hobby, more like a natural thing to do for some chainsaw nerd. I wouldn't want to do it as a full time job but a project here and there would be nice just to mix things up.

12/6/2011 1:16:30 PM

1. Cartoonist
2. Submit more things to magazines/online/etc hoping to get paid
3. Time and money. It takes a long time to make a cartoon that someone reads in 5 seconds. And it isn't very practical as a "real job" because VERY few people ever make enough money off of it to live off that alone. Charles Schultz and ...

So I try to do it on the side when I can. I have gotten one cartoon published on a Hallmark card, and a rejection letter from Mad magazine and that's about it. I have thought a few times about starting a web comic, but I never have enough time to commit to it between two jobs.

12/7/2011 12:34:51 PM

^post 'em on Tdub!!!

Quote :

"cool when are you planning to start? "

Planning to start my new program tomorrow

12/7/2011 12:57:53 PM

Quote :

"VERY few people ever make enough money off of it to live off that alone. Charles Schultz and ..."

... and Gary Larson, who has 2 insect species named after him.

^^I think that it is good that you have the interest and realistic sense of the market demand for cartoons. It is very competitive industry because so many people have access to the tools necessary for making cartoons. I found that the most popular ones have at least 2 of the following:

1. An appeal to people's twisted side
2. incorporate current events in some capacity
3. If there is a reoccurring theme, then it is accurate to those in that field of study (Gary Larson studied entomology, his following began among entomologists that were impressed how he made the insects anatomically close with a few artistic changes and also how he used people's preconceptions of the insects he used and made it part of the humor)
4. started with a loyal fan base (you have tww =), and once enough people saw the traffic and heard the buzz, they too would visit)

at the very least it would be so cool to see your work at some point, if you don't get a chance to make a career out of it, you can still be appreciated.

Do you have a plan of what papers and when you would like to submit cartoons to them by? Can you speak to anyone in the newspaper business to ask them for tips, or maybe what days are best for cartoons (maybe certain days of the week are more popular?)?

Have you put together a portfolio?

Quote :

"I make knife sheaths and gun holsters for personal use and have sold a couple. I've also done repair and customization work on guns and knives, but I haven't made any from scratch or done any gunsmithing that needs expensive machinery."

@Fumbler, is there a club/group that do these kinds of machines that you need to make them from scratch? Could you find someone in the area that does have these things? Could you put an ad out for an apprenticeship request? Could you pay someone to guide you through it all?



The reason I started this is because I found a lot of close people complaining that what they majored in was supposed to get them a highpaying job or something, and it didn't pan out.... or it did, and they don't like it.... always saying things like I wish I had.... I want people to forget other people's criticisms and go for it, try it... take the criticisms as ways to improve and go. If you do not have $$$ pick a goal that doesn't require a lot of $$$ (ex: be a better spouse/parent, learn to swim) (like me, I want to get into shape, and work on building an entomology lab from the ground up(when I do have $$)). This is not intended to get you to that goal by the end of the year, but it would be cool to see people publicly announce itt their goals, so that they have motivation to keep making small amounts of progress. I am mostly motivated by this because of my grandma, she was an awesome lady who lived a wild and awesome life and died young because of cancer. My other grandma, who did many inspirational things in her time as well (WAC) she has slowly wasted away her life and is mostly a vegetable. I am prepared to leave this life young as long as I have lived the kind of life I want.

[Edited on December 7, 2011 at 1:32 PM. Reason : ^]

12/7/2011 1:20:20 PM

1. win the lottery
2. buy lottery tickets
3. not buying lottery tickets

12/7/2011 1:43:42 PM

Quote :

"1. win the lottery 2. buy lottery tickets 3. not buying lottery tickets"

this seems more like a wish, I was aiming for things people have actually imagined doing, may be kind of started on or know a little bit about, and try to progress in a year toward something that they had to work hard for.

buying a lottery ticket can be done in 5 minutes with $10. try again

12/7/2011 1:48:17 PM

Quote :

"post 'em on Tdub!!! "

if I get a web comic started, tdub will be the first to know

Quote :

"Do you have a plan of what papers and when you would like to submit cartoons to them by? Can you speak to anyone in the newspaper business to ask them for tips, or maybe what days are best for cartoons (maybe certain days of the week are more popular?)?"

Newspapers are a dying breed. That is the other problem with the industry. Very few have cartoonists on their payroll (for example, Dwayne Powell, long time cartoonist for the N&O, was laid off a few years ago). Most get their work from a handful of artists nationwide that are syndicated. King Features, for instance, takes over 5,000 submissions annually for new comic strips and generally tries out 2-3.

I think the internet is probably the best bet for getting something started. Mainly because you don't have to answer to editors or censors, and with social media you can try and drum up interest easily. The advantage to the internet is also the disadvantage in that anyone can do it (so there are a lot of artists to sift through to get noticed) and it's free. Which means unless you sell merch or get a book deal, you are just doing it for fun.

Quote :

"Have you put together a portfolio?"

Yes but it's mainly a professional design portfolio (read: no 'toons )

12/7/2011 1:56:02 PM

1. summit real mountains (14k+)
2. get into rock climbing, better physical shape, etc...but i'm pregnant now so that's not going to happen anytime soon
3. proximity to real mountains, time (as in time off work), & money mainly. i guess i could shorten that to money bc if i had plenty of it, i could overcome the first 2 problems.

12/7/2011 2:04:12 PM

I think it would be good to start the site. I wasn't sure about the newspaper thing either (my sister is a journalist)... but I don't know the industry well.

I think that if you did start a site your portfolio would be a good addition, I feel like that cements you as a credible artist and may keep you above the riff raff.

do you have the skills to get a user friendly and well designed site? If you do, can you ask someone to help you designing it (2 sets of eyes are better than one)? (<not for artistic advice, more for technical aspects and flow)

also do you have people in your life that support this?


@73, yes that is a goal I would like to reach too. I know it won't happen for me this year though bc of research and school. I imagine you cannot do much to prepare right now given the pregnancy. Do you have post pregnancy health plans? When would you be able to be in the shape you are speaking of?

Are you involved in any interest groups for rock climbing/hiking? I really like these because you get great advice and locations from the seasoned veterans. Do you have the equipment? Can you possibly find a group to plan a trip 2 years from now (or whenever you think this is feasible)?

[Edited on December 7, 2011 at 2:13 PM. Reason : ^]

12/7/2011 2:07:23 PM

ok, my for real:

1. open a restaurant
2. find the location and secure funding
3. i make 6 figures at my current job and I work pretty much 24/7

[Edited on December 7, 2011 at 2:10 PM. Reason : a]

12/7/2011 2:09:51 PM

Quote :

"@Fumbler, is there a club/group that do these kinds of machines that you need to make them from scratch? Could you find someone in the area that does have these things? Could you put an ad out for an apprenticeship request? Could you pay someone to guide you through it all?"

If I really wanted to pursue knifemaking or gunsmithing I can find people who would teach me a thing or two for free. I'm fairly smart too so I don't need a whole lot of instruction (the internet is a wonderful tool).
There are a couple of reasons why I haven't pursued it.
First is the machinery is expensive. People will let you use their stuff once or a couple of times, but you need your own stuff if you want to produce. To grind knives will probably cost $400 in equipment at a bare minimum (more like over $1000 when you start adding other junk). A mill for gunsmithing would be into the thousands of dollars. I also don't have anywhere to put the machinery.
Second is fear. I ask myself why I would invest time and money into knifemaking or gunsmithing as a hobby when I know I'm not going to quit my job and do it fulltime. I wouldn't quit my job because knifemakers and gunsmiths often starve for many years while they build their businesses. Even accomplished ones don't make a huge amount of money.

I will buy some equipment one day when I have some room to work with it.

12/7/2011 2:14:06 PM

There is a gunsmithing class at one of the local NC Community Colleges that people come from all over the country for. I can't remember which one it is though.

Also, if you are serious then you can find an investor for some financial backing.

[Edited on December 7, 2011 at 2:17 PM. Reason : a]

12/7/2011 2:16:01 PM

Quote :

"find the location and secure funding"

are you saving any of those dollars? can you save more? Are you in a position where you can put a deposit down? How much more do you need? When can you reach that monetary goal by? Are there any loans you can look into once you have an acceptable business plan? do you have a business plan? 5 yr? 10 yr?

What type of restaurant? what demographic do you picture eating there? With the first 2 answers in mind, where (city?downtown? college area? near ABC stores? near fancy shit?) could you maximize the intended traffic?

12/7/2011 2:18:32 PM

The funding won't be a problem, the location is where I have been lazy.

I already have the cooks lined up. Looking to do a southern homestyle place, but upscale. I have an amazing chef as well as a girl that does the most amazing desserts on the planet.

I would bring the sales/marketing to the table

12/7/2011 2:26:38 PM

Quote :

"ok, my for real: 1. open a restaurant 2. find the location and secure funding 3. i make 6 figures at my current job and I work pretty much 24/7"

After all the shit you see people give me for owning a restaurant, you still want to open a restaurant?

12/7/2011 2:26:56 PM